Mancini plans early transfer market raids

ROBERTO MANCINI has demanded cash quickly as he looks to reinforce Manchester City for their first taste of the Champions League next season.

The Italian has been told he can only sign three more players by chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak but intends to go on a spending spree to bolster his squad, claiming he fears repeating the mistakes made by Tottenham this year.

Udinese’s Alexis Sanchez, Gary Cahill and Leighton Baines are all on his shopping list but he wants to take action quickly to allow new signings to bed in before the new season.

He said: “(A title challenge) is possible, why not? It’s important to have all of the new players that we buy in pre-season because last year we added the players five days before the season. If it’s possible we’ll improve from the start of the season. It will be important to do this early.

“I think it will be a really hard season and maybe we’d be like Tottenham this year. They put all their strength into the Champions League and lost many points in the Premier League so it’s important to have good players, many players, for three competitions.”

He is also adamant that Carlos Tevez will be staying and added: “For me, Carlo will stay here next year.”

Owen Coyle is also planning on an overhaul of his squad this summer, with a host of players set to move on.

“We’ve not got that strength in depth but given the progress we’ve made know there’s room for further improvement,” Coyle said. “There’s so much to be pleased about.

“The league position is what it is. The job was in our own hands.”